diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.c
index e2a7696d4..3477ea01c 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.c
@@ -390,6 +390,22 @@ void channel_map_parse(const char *str, struct channel_map *map)
 	}
 }
 
+void channel_map_parse_position(const char *str, struct channel_map *map)
+{
+	struct spa_json it[2];
+	char v[256];
+
+	spa_json_init(&it[0], str, strlen(str));
+	if (spa_json_enter_array(&it[0], &it[1]) <= 0)
+		spa_json_init(&it[1], str, strlen(str));
+
+	map->channels = 0;
+	while (spa_json_get_string(&it[1], v, sizeof(v)) > 0 &&
+	    map->channels < SPA_AUDIO_MAX_CHANNELS) {
+		map->map[map->channels++] = channel_name2id(v);
+	}
+}
+
 bool channel_map_valid(const struct channel_map *map)
 {
 	uint8_t i;
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.h b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.h
index 7fddfdd4e..77795a5e4 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.h
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ uint32_t channel_paname2id(const char *name, size_t size);
 void channel_map_to_positions(const struct channel_map *map, uint32_t *pos);
 void channel_map_parse(const char *str, struct channel_map *map);
 bool channel_map_valid(const struct channel_map *map);
+void channel_map_parse_position(const char *str, struct channel_map *map);
 
 int format_parse_param(const struct spa_pod *param, bool collect, struct sample_spec *ss,
 		struct channel_map *map, const struct sample_spec *def_ss,
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
index 0beda77a3..fbfe7a6f1 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
@@ -5471,22 +5471,13 @@ static int parse_position(struct pw_properties *props, const char *key, const ch
 		struct channel_map *res)
 {
 	const char *str;
-	struct spa_json it[2];
-	char v[256];
 
 	if (props == NULL ||
 	    (str = pw_properties_get(props, key)) == NULL)
 		str = def;
 
-	spa_json_init(&it[0], str, strlen(str));
-	if (spa_json_enter_array(&it[0], &it[1]) <= 0)
-		spa_json_init(&it[1], str, strlen(str));
+	channel_map_parse_position(str, res);
 
-	res->channels = 0;
-	while (spa_json_get_string(&it[1], v, sizeof(v)) > 0 &&
-	    res->channels < SPA_AUDIO_MAX_CHANNELS) {
-		res->map[res->channels++] = channel_name2id(v);
-	}
 	pw_log_info(": defaults: %s = %s", key, str);
 	return 0;
 }